How do you eat healthy? HELP!
teazelbranchlet
Posts: 7
I have been trying to eat healthy, and it isn't working! I get so discouraged and basically just say screw it if eating healthy doesn't help I am going to go back to the way I used to eat.
Whenever I ask people for help on other forums my answers are always, I just gave up 'bad' food cold turkey. Or eat more veggies. Or count calories. But what is bad food? I eat plenty of fruits and veggies and how do you count calories of food you make from scratch? How many calories are in an apple or 1/4 of the leftovers from last night?
I have been trying and trying and trying for months and months and all I keep doing is putting on weight. I have looked up how to eat healthy or recipe ideas and I feel like I never have any success.
I need help with quick healthy meals.
I get home at 5:45 and don't have time to cook for an hour and then work out. It just doesn't work for me. This whole weight loss thing is so overwhelming from the beginning and I just don't know where to start.
Whenever I ask people for help on other forums my answers are always, I just gave up 'bad' food cold turkey. Or eat more veggies. Or count calories. But what is bad food? I eat plenty of fruits and veggies and how do you count calories of food you make from scratch? How many calories are in an apple or 1/4 of the leftovers from last night?
I have been trying and trying and trying for months and months and all I keep doing is putting on weight. I have looked up how to eat healthy or recipe ideas and I feel like I never have any success.
I need help with quick healthy meals.
I get home at 5:45 and don't have time to cook for an hour and then work out. It just doesn't work for me. This whole weight loss thing is so overwhelming from the beginning and I just don't know where to start.
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Replies
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eating "healthy" does not guarantee weight loss.
Being in a calorie deficit does...
define "bad" foods...
calories in food I make from scratch is put in the recipe builder here and weighed and serving size is defined by grams.
I didn't give up any foods..none...I eat a cadbury chocolate bar everynight, fruitloops some mornings...AMG I even eat fast food...0 -
Typically I don't eat that much. I have banana bread at breakfast, whatever is left over from dinner the night before at lunch and dinner. Sometimes if I am hungry between and I am at work I have some almonds. Lately my snack of choice has been sesame crackers and hummus. I don't eat a lot of bread, but I try to eat whole wheat when I do.
I haven't cut anything out that I am going to miss eating.0 -
FYI - it's really easy to overeat hummus in my experience.0
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Typically I don't eat that much. I have banana bread at breakfast, whatever is left over from dinner the night before at lunch and dinner. Sometimes if I am hungry between and I am at work I have some almonds. Lately my snack of choice has been sesame crackers and hummus.
you have to count calories and be in a deficit to lose weight.
It really is that simple...it's not the kinds of food you eat it's how much.
Now my banana bread has 185 calories per serving...and that is just 67grams....see this is why you have to count and log accurately.0 -
Have you tried a slow cooker?? They have lots of great ideas. If I'm going to be gone long, make sure you start with frozen meat. I have other ideas if you are interested. It's hard to eat healthy with little or no time.0
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Banana bread can pack a major calorie punch.
It's so easy to overeat hummus, I usually budget for twice the portion size.
It's easy to overdue it on nuts, too. They are calorie dense and a service of almonds is no more than a small handful.
Volume of food and calories are two entirely different things. My guess is that the foods you are eating are calorie dense, so you feel like you aren't eating that much when, in reality, you are over on calories. Before I start snacking, I prelog my dinner and lunch so that I know what I'm working with for snacks. If it doesn't fit, I pick something else. This is especially important with things like peanut butter, nuts, hummus and cheese.0 -
I highly recommend getting a good food scale. You never really realize how small (or big) a portion of something is when you eyeball it.0
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I don't disagree
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I bought a food scale. If you make meals from scratch, it allows you to calculate the weight of each for the recipe and calculate the amount exactly. However I did find that to be overkill when several components were involved. The easier way was to find something that was made commercially and use that. The commercial product usually had more calories (50-100) but it all averages out.
My time is also limited. I plan my meals (especially breakfast).0 -
Teazel, do you like steamed foods? I have to workout after i get home too-which is about 6 each day. If you get a steamer, you can steam anything besides red meat. Only takes 25min and it can steam while you work out. Eggs, chicken, fish, veggies and it comes with instructions that tells how many minutes for what kind of food. It is a life savor. Just remember it is very healthy and you need to eat plenty of calories in healthy food like fruits and veggies/proteins in order for your body to stay out of starvation mode-else you won't be losing anything. My problem is eating ENOUGH to lose the weight. Hope this helps.0
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Excuses, excuses, excuses. You're not counting calories, and that's your problem. You don't lose weight by eating "healthy", you lose weight by eating at a caloric deficit. It's calories in vs. calories out. Counting calories is not rocket science. How do you count calories in the meals you make? You take the ingredients, pop them into the recipe builder, determine how many servings are in the dish, and log it. Easy. If you're gaining weight, you're clearly eating more calories than you think you are.0
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You don't have to cook a salad, or a sandwich. I am 33 with three kids and I cook, but before I was married it was rare.
You say you typically don't eat much but that isn't true or you would be losing weight.0 -
Say this to yourself 100 times:eating "healthy" does not guarantee weight loss.
Being in a calorie deficit does...
Now say it another 100 times while doing jumping jacks.
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"How do you count calories of food you make from scratch?"
You put the ingredients from your recipe - if you make it up, start recording the weights and amounts you use - into a recipe calorie counter online. MFP has one but it's been playing up lately.
"How many calories are in an apple"
Google it. Then weigh your apple.
"or 1/4 of the leftovers from last night?"
If the dish made 5 servings, record that you're eating 1 serving of the recipe you made last night - assuming you divided it roughly into 5ths. Or whatever portions suit your family (I call my recipes '3 servings', as my husband and I eat about a third and the remaining third is divided between the kids. 4 servings but they're not equal.)
"I need help with quick healthy meals.
I get home at 5:45 and don't have time to cook for an hour and then work out."
Cook a quick stir fry in minutes. Or consider a slow cooker for meat and veg.
Eating 'healthy' is an idea sold to you by magazines - but the easiest place to start is putting down the cakes and Doritos. Only you know how much calorie-dense, nutrient-free food you eat. Cut it to one of those items a day. Then keep lowering them.
But it's up to you. Like you say, you've not got time to cook, calorie-count or work out. When you change your mind and really decide to make a go of it, the answers will seem a lot clearer.0 -
Teazel, do you like steamed foods? I have to workout after i get home too-which is about 6 each day. If you get a steamer, you can steam anything besides red meat. Only takes 25min and it can steam while you work out. Eggs, chicken, fish, veggies and it comes with instructions that tells how many minutes for what kind of food. It is a life savor. Just remember it is very healthy and you need to eat plenty of calories in healthy food like fruits and veggies/proteins in order for your body to stay out of starvation mode-else you won't be losing anything. My problem is eating ENOUGH to lose the weight. Hope this helps.
I do like steamed foods, I don't have a steamer, but I googled ways to steam food without a steamer and I do that with my veggies at dinner time.
Though steaming meat is a whole new concept. I didn't know you could do that.0 -
Like the other's said, recipe builder helps a ton. Especially if you cook from scratch. Just try to estimate how many meals when you're doing it. Once your recipes are setup it will get easier to track things.0
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Pretty much what everybody here has said. If you are truly that pinched for time, I suggest getting protein bars/shakes as a meal replacement (and NO not the silly "Slim Fast" ones, an actuall whey Isolate in a flavor of your choice). They will keep you from eating junk for meals, and will provide the correct macro nutrient balance you should be getting out of most meals you eat. It will also help you feel full.
The only way you are going to lose weight is at a controlled deficit. Most convenient, pre-packaged dinners are calorie dense and are going to leave you feeling hungry despite being anywhere from 600-900 calories. I would steer clear. Honestly the best "filler" foods are veggies. Lowest calorie to volume ratio. I typically munch celery or carrots to stay full if I am near my calorie cap for the day.
Another big change you can make is to just not buy the junk. Don't have it in your house. I had a lot better success when I started doing this. I stopped treating food like a pleasure activity and started treating it like a basic need. That is really all it is anyway.0 -
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What kind of meals did you eat? How did you cook your meat? And what kind of meats did you eat?0
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eating "healthy" does not guarantee weight loss.
Being in a calorie deficit does...
define "bad" foods...
calories in food I make from scratch is put in the recipe builder here and weighed and serving size is defined by grams.
I didn't give up any foods..none...I eat a cadbury chocolate bar everynight, fruitloops some mornings...AMG I even eat fast food...
This ^^
However what I do, that has helped me is creeping. Creep on peoples diets. Make sure you are weighing all foods though. They have their diets open for a reason. Plus it is a great learning tool.0 -
Don't give up! Don't be discouraged. Just take it one week at a time.
What helps me is PORTION control and PLANNING my meals for the week. I have a chart, Monday through Sunday, with small meals and snacks planned out and written down. That way I can see exactly what to eat and only bring those items to work. I use small 1 cup or 1/2 cup containers to portion everything correctly.
For meals - I eat for function. 1 Chicken breast and a cup of veggies. 1 can of tuna, 1/2 cottage cheese, 3 cups spinach. Sure they may not be glamorous meals, but I am getting all the protein and nutrients without spending time on cooking. And it's all HEALTHY food!
Make small changes. Fill your house with healthy foods so that's all you eat. You can do it
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Pretty much what everybody here has said. If you are truly that pinched for time, I suggest getting protein bars/shakes as a meal replacement (and NO not the silly "Slim Fast" ones, an actuall whey Isolate in a flavor of your choice). They will keep you from eating junk for meals, and will provide the correct macro nutrient balance you should be getting out of most meals you eat. It will also help you feel full.
The only way you are going to lose weight is at a controlled deficit. Most convenient, pre-packaged dinners are calorie dense and are going to leave you feeling hungry despite being anywhere from 600-900 calories. I would steer clear. Honestly the best "filler" foods are veggies. Lowest calorie to volume ratio. I typically munch celery or carrots to stay full if I am near my calorie cap for the day.
Another big change you can make is to just not buy the junk. Don't have it in your house. I had a lot better success when I started doing this. I stopped treating food like a pleasure activity and started treating it like a basic need. That is really all it is anyway.
are there any certain types/brands of bars that you recommend??? thanks 0 -
FYI - it's really easy to overeat hummus in my experience.
Most definitely!0 -
Some people on here have been saying it doesn't matter what you eat, but how much. Well, that's dumb because I can eat an entire head of lettuce for around 200 calories (I'm guessing), but a grilled cheese sandwich is the same amount of calories.
What I recommend is a strict diet of fruits, vegetables, and nuts and seeds for about two weeks or so. Not that long. It will cleanse your body and you will learn to love those foods. And you can have fun with them like make a smoothie out of frozen fruit for the morning, celery and peanut butter for snacks (but beware, peanut butter is addicting), a nice veggie plate for lunch, and so on. This way, you can eat as much as you want (of the fruits and vegetables. The nuts are high in calories, so limit them) and you'll totally alkalize yourself.
I completely recommend the book Eating for Energy. You can buy it as an Ebook. It's about thirty bucks, but it's the best thirty bucks you'll every spend. It teaches you all about your body and what food does for it. It's based on a raw vegan diet, but you don't have to do that. And if anything else, It has awesome smoothie recipes that I use all of the time. (It also has other healthy recipes too, but they're kind of out there)
Anyways, hope this helps, and good luck on your adventure.0 -
Change your definition of "Eating Healthy" and you'll achieve better results.
For your purposes, "Eating Healthy" should mean stick to your calorie goal and eating what ever it takes to get as close to that number as possible.
Tips for Eating healthy
1. Eat ANYTHING
2. Make adjustments to your food choices as you near your calorie allowance for the day
3. Hit the gym to allow extra calories for food and treats.
*edited to add 2 more steps0 -
Seems like a pain in the *kitten* when you first start, but if you do cook a lot of meals from scratch, the recipe tool on MFP is fab!
Next time you're cooking a meal, just weigh stuff as you're adding your ingredients and jot down the numbers in a notepad, then add those weights into your recipe on MFP, a long with the servings per dish and save. Next time you make the same meal/recipe you won't have to log it because it's already there.
I spent a few hours just adding in my most used recipes and so now logging is really easy.
If you don't have time to cook, plan ahead. Cook in bulk when you do have time and freeze stuff in portions. Stuff like stirfrys take minutes, salads and jacket potatoes are very easy to prepare...do casseroles or stews the night before. Get a slow cooker.
Banana loaf sounds calorific for such a small portion and prob won't stave off hunger for too long. Add some friends here on MFP and look at their diaries, see what they're eating.
If you want results you need to be prepared to put some effort in.0 -
I guess I don't know what you mean by 'healthy'. Maybe that's the problem with how you're thinking about it? I can't think of any whole 'class' of food that isn't healthy except maybe that day-glow yogurt that comes in tubes.
Step 1: When you're eating 'junk' food (nachos, cheetos, etc.), look at the portion size. Count that into a bowl. Put the bag away. Eat what's in the bowl. It's a small step, but definitely doable.
Second, learn to cook delicious food. It will help you when you're home and give you a better sense of what's good when you're eating out.
If you're just getting started . . .
One way to think about it is to move towards the kinds of food that your grandmother (or great grandmother) would recognize. Meats that haven't been processed that much. That should take up around 1/3 of your plate or less. Eggs. Potatoes. Vegetables. Frozen vegetable packs are fine and easy to make.
Two cookbooks I would recommend for people who want tasty, healthy food that is really delicious and easy to make. Both are aimed at teaching people to cook:
The Around the World Cookbook for Kids: http://www.amazon.com/Around-World-Cookbook-Abigail-Johnson/dp/0756637449/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401805031&sr=1-1&keywords=around+the+world+cookbook
It's made for kids. All the recipes have like 5 ingredients or less. Every recipe is delicious. All are healthy.
Another is Cook with Jamie: http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Jamie-Guide-Making-Better/dp/1401322336/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401805110&sr=1-1&keywords=cooking+with+jamie
It's by Jamie Oliver and is meant to teach people to cook good, delicious food with basic ingredients.
Like someone else said, this won't make you thin. That's about portion control. But it will put good things in your body and it will taste really good. I'd rather eat a small amount of delicious food than a lot of junk.0 -
If I were you I would get a food scale you might be overeating and not realizing it. Scales are fairly cheap and if you can't find one order one from Amazon.
Also I would recommend getting recipes from Cooking Light they have lots of quick and easy low calorie recipes.
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/20-20-superfast-suppers-00400000038097/
Also this portion guide will help. There is one you can print for your fridge and one for your wallet/purse
http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/portion-control-size-guide0 -
Don't listen to anyone who tells you that the calories in what you eat is more important than what you eat. You could eat twinkies every day and lose weight if you burn more calories than in those twinkies, but the weight won't stay off long. When you eat sugar without fiber, your body immediately starts storing the calories as fat. When you lose weight with only a calorie deficit and don't pay attention to what food you provide for your body, you lose muscle mass in addition to fat which eventually decreases your ability to burn fat over all. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so having more muscle makes it easier to burn calories in the long run.
You still need a calorie deficit, but it is easy to have that if what you eat is whole foods: raw fruits and veggies, lean meats like chicken and turkey, meats with healthy fats like salmon, and healthy fats like avocado, almonds, walnuts or olive oil. Fruits and veggies are filling because they're full of fiber, and they're extremely low in calories. Meats provide the protein you need to maintain muscle while burning fat, and the healthy fats help your body absorb nutrients and provide your body with good fat while burning the fat you don't need on your body.
Here's an example of a good day of healthy eating:
6 AM: Breakfast
Omelete made with 2 omega-3 eggs
1/2 c. green peppers
1/2 c. mushrooms
sriracha to taste
9 AM: Light Snack
1 apple
1 piece of part-skim mozzarella string cheese
12 PM: Lunch
Salad made with 2 c. 50/50 salad mix (spinach and spring greens)
additional veggies on salad: tomatoes, red onions
4 oz grilled chicken
Dressing made of 1 T olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste
3 PM: Light snack
Small hand full of almonds
A few celery sticks
6 PM: Dinner
4 oz Salmon
1 c. grilled asparagus
small side salad with 50/50 mix, red onions and balsamic vinegar
Notice how every meal includes a protein source (eggs, chicken, salmon) and a healthy fat (omega-2 egg yolk, olive oil, salmon) along with at least 1 serving of vegetables or fruits. That's the general template for a healthy, fat-burning diet.
I used to eat this way without tracking my calories, and when I started tracking calories on here, I found that I was barely eating more than 1000 calories a day with 3 meals and 2 snacks! Eating the fruits/veggies and healthy fats as a snack provides the flavor and fiber you need to stay satiated until meals. If you don't need the snacks, it's not a big deal. I don't eat them every day. If you stick to this for 6 weeks, I'm sure you'll lose a noticeable amount of weight. I would recommend starting with a goal of eating like this for one week, and see how it goes. Or maybe just one day if it's that drastic of a change for you.
You could also splurge once a week and have a cheeseburger or a candy bar, but you might find that you don't want to because you feel satisfied and healthy.
Good luck!0 -
Eating healthy is a full time commitment. You have to plan ahead, or else it's not going to workout. I understand this can be extremely overwhelming if you have never "ate healthy" or watched your calories. Basically, fill your diet with LOTS of vegetables, fruits, complex carbs, beans and legumes. You have to think of healthy eating as a chance to nourish your body. Like multiple trainers always say, work your body hard in the gym and reward it with nutrition. Since you are clearly on a tight schedule and busy, here are a few quick, healthy meal ideas that you can whip up relatively quickly.
Breakfast: Egg white omelet with spinach, carrots, mushrooms and any other veggie you want. Eat with one piece of whole wheat toast.
1/2 cup of steel cut oatmeal with strawberries or any other fruit on top. You can also add almonds to the top for a crunch factor. If the whole fruit thing doesn't work for you, you can flavor your oatmeal in many different ways! Add peanut butter, honey, etc to find which flavor works for you!
Lunch: Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, with lettuce and tomato. Eat with a side salad or a piece of fruit. If you are watching carbs, eat the sandwich open face (meaning only one piece of bread) and use the lettuce as the top piece of bread.
Have a grilled chicken salad with tons of veggies and light dressing.
Tuna fish is also a great, easy, and SUPER healthy lunch. Watch the amount of mayo (avoid it all together if at all possible) you add and eat it with whole wheat crackers or on a piece of whole wheat bread. You can even put tuna on a salad. These come in individual pouches or cans and are relatively cheap at the store too!
Dinner: 3oz of grilled chicken over a bed of vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus...the more the BETTER!) and a side of quinoa. If you don't like quinoa, you can also have couscous or barley or brown rice. These are all complex carbohydrates (good carbs).
4oz of salmon or codfish served with brown rice and broccoli.
Shrimp stir fry with snap peas and green peppers. You can add any other veggie you want with this. Use low sodium teriyaki sauce
As you can see, the possibilities are endless! Best of luck 0
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